Junior dos Santos
Born	(1984-09-12) September 12, 1984 (age 27) Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Other names	Cigano ("Gypsy") JDS
Residence	Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	108.4 kg (239 lb; 17 st 1 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Style	Mixed Martial Arts
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Team	Team Nogueira
Rank	Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active	2006–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	16
Wins	15
By knockout	11
By submission	2
By decision	2
Losses	1
By submission	1
Website	http://www.juniordossantos.com.br/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: November 23, 2011

Junior dos Santos Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒũnjoʁ dus ˈsɐ̃tus]), also known as Junior Cigano ("Gipsy"; born September 12, 1984), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked as the number one heavyweight fighter in the world by numerous media outlets.^[2][3][4]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Dos Santos started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Yuri Carlton for fitness reasons. After some time he was invited to join an MMA practice, where he met his boxing coach Luiz Carlos Dórea, and after roughly a year he made his debut fight.^[5][6]

Early career[link]

Dos Santos became professional in 2006 at the age of 21. He fought in small promotions in Brazil, such as Demo Fight, Extreme Fighting Championship, Minotauro Fights and Mo Team League. He won 6 out of his first 7 bouts, suffering his only loss to Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter he'd previously beaten.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–present)[link]

Debut (2008–2010)[link]

Dos Santos debuted for the UFC on October 25, 2008 at UFC 90. Considered a major underdog,^[7] dos Santos knocked out top contender Fabricio Werdum at a minute and twenty-one seconds of the first round with a strong uppercut,^[8][9] earning himself a "Knockout of the Night" award.^[10]

Dos Santos returned on February 21, 2009 at UFC 95 and fought promotional newcomer Stefan Struve defeating him at fifty-four seconds of the first round by TKO.^[11]

On September 19, 2009, Dos Santos continued his winning streak and defeated Mirko Filipović at UFC 103.^[12] During the third round, dos Santos dominated Filipović in the clinch with knee strikes and punches. A knee from the clinch and a right uppercut left Cro Cop unable to see causing him to verbally submit.^[13]

Dos Santos was supposed to fight Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 108. However, Gonzaga pulled out of the bout on November 25, 2009, due to a staph infection.^[14] Instead on January 2, 2010, dos Santos fought Gilbert Yvel,^[15] winning the fight via TKO at two minutes and seven seconds of the first round.^[16]

Dos Santos defeated Gabriel Gonzaga on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones by knockout in the first round.^[17] Earning Dos Santos his second "Knockout of the Night" award.^[18]

Heavyweight title contender (2010–2011)[link]

Dos Santos faced Roy Nelson on August 7, 2010, at UFC 117.^[19] The fight saw Dos Santos use a variety of strikes and, for the first time, a successful takedown.^[20] Despite dos Santos' striking ability, Nelson was able to stay in the fight,^[21] resulting in the fight going to decision.^[22] Dos Santos won via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–27).^[23] Following the win Dos Santos was expected to challenge Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title. However a torn rotator cuff suffered by Velasquez sidelined the champion for nearly a year.^[24]

Junior Dos Santos in action against Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 131.

On January 11, 2011, it was revealed that Dos Santos would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 13, opposite to Brock Lesnar.^[25] They were scheduled to face each other on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131,^[26] but Lesnar pulled out of the bout due to a recurrence of diverticulitis and was replaced by Shane Carwin.^[27] Dos Santos dominated Carwin and defeated him via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26),^[28] relying predominantly on his boxing skills,^[29] but showed more variety in his game by landing a couple of kicks and completing two takedowns in the third round.^[30][31]

UFC Heavyweight Champion (2011–present)[link]

Junior Dos Santos with the UFC Heavyweight Title Belt.

Dos Santos faced Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on November 12, 2011.^[32] Dos Santos defeated Velasquez in 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round via KO to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship title.^[33] Dos Santos dropped Velasquez with an overhand right and finished him off with a series of punches.^[34] The performance also earned Dos Santos his third "Knockout of the Night" award.^[35] After the fight, it was revealed that he had a torn meniscus in his knee,^[36] he subsequently underwent a successful knee surgery.^[37]

Dos Santos was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at UFC 146.^[38] On April 4, 2012, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Overeem had failed a pre-fight drug test.^[39] Overeem's "A" sample was found to have a elevated T/E ratio of 14:1, the NSAC's allowable ratio is 6:1, Overeem had the opportunity to request a test on his "B" sample.^[40][41] A NSAC hearing on the issue was held on April 24, 2012.^[42] At the hearing Overeem's request for a license was denied.^[43] On April 20, 2012, Dana White the UFC president announced Frank Mir would be replacing Overeem.^[44] Junior dos Santos dominated the fight showing his superior boxing skills, resulting in a TKO in the second round.

Personal life[link]

Dos Santos is married. Moreover, he states that Antônio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is his hero.^[45] In addition to his native Portuguese, Dos Santos speaks English and has stated his intention to learn Spanish.^[46] He received his nickname "Cigano" by showing up to practice with long hair placed in a ponytail,^[47] Cigano meaning Gypsy in Portuguese.^[45] The name is an allusion to a character from an old Brazilian soap opera, addressing the culture of the gypsies in Brazil.^[47] He is a Roman Catholic.^[7] He has also stated that as a child he hated soccer.^[48]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Mixed Martial Arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time; Current)
  • Knockout of the Night (Three times)^[10][18][35]

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2008 Upset of the Year vs. Fabricio Werdum on October 25

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current mixed martial arts champions
• List of UFC champions
• List of current UFC fighters

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Junior dos Santos on Twitter
• Professional MMA record for Junior dos Santos from Sherdog
• Official UFC Profile

Santos, originally Portuguese or Spanish for Saints (singular Santo), is a common surname in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries and the Philippines. Sometimes it can be the final part of a given name, generally preceded by the particle dos or de los (of the, meaning of the Saints, as in Miguel dos Santos, Michael of the Saints). It is a name associated with a great number of different people:

General[link]

• Ahmed Santos (newspaper columnist) (born 1974), Mexican newspaper columnist and former boxer
• Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873–1932), Brazilian aviation pioneer
• Alfredo M. Santos (1905–1990), former Filipino AFP chief of staff
• Domitila, Marchioness of Santos (1797–1867), Brazilian noblewoman and the mistress of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil
• Lúcia dos Santos, known as Sister Lúcia of Jesus, Portuguese Roman Catholic Carmelite nun and seer of Our Lady of Fatima
• José Abad Santos (1886–1942), 5th Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Paulino Santos, (1890-1945), Filipino military
• Rufino Jiao Santos (1908–1973), Filipino Archbishop of Manila
• Santos Benavides (1823–1891), American military
• Vicente Abad Santos (1916–1993), Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines

Arts[link]

• Santos (artist) (Sante Pucello, born 1971), Italian DJ
• Antony Santos (born 1967), Dominican Bachata singer/composer
• Anthony "Romeo" Santos, Dominican-American song writer, lead singer, and featured composer of Aventura
• Ary dos Santos (1937–1984), Portuguese poet
• Charo Santos (born 1955), Filipino actress and president of ABS-CBN Network
• Daniel Santos (singer) (1916–1992), Puerto Rican singer and composer
• Domingo Santos (born 1941), Spanish writer
• Enrique Santos Discépolo (1901–1951), Argentinian musician
• Erik Ramos Santos (born 1982), Filipino singer
• Henry Santos Jeter, Dominican singer and composer/vocals for Aventura
• Joe Santos (born 1931), American actor
• Joly Braga Santos (1924–1988), Portuguese composer and conductor
• José dos Santos Ferreira (1919–1993), Portuguese-Macanese writer
• Jovino Santos-Neto (born 1954), Brazilian musician
• Judy Ann Santos (born 1978), Filipino actress
• Gervacio Santos, Filipino film editor
• Lenny Santos, Dominican-American guitarist, producer/arranger for Aventura
• Lucélia Santos (born 1957), Brazilian actress, director and producer
• Mayra Santos-Febres (born 1966), Puerto-Rican writer
• Max Santos, Dominican-American bassist for Aventura
• Matthew Santos (born 1982), American alternative music singer
• Nelson Pereira dos Santos (born 1928), Brazilian movie director
• Pablo Santos (1987–2006), Mexican actor
• Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos (born 1941), known as Pepetela, Angolan writer
• Rhea Santos (born 1979), Filipino TV news host and journalist
• Roberto Santos (1928–1987), Brazilian film director
• Santos Ortega (1899–1976), American actor
• Vilma Santos, Filipino actress
• José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos (1929–1987), known as Zeca Afonso, Portuguese singer, composer and poet

Politicians[link]

• Ahmed Santos (militant), Filipino convert to Islam and political militant
• Antonio da Costa Santos (died 2001), Brazilian architect and politician
• António dos Santos Ramalho Eanes (born 1935), Portuguese general and politician
• Conrad Santos (born 1934), Canadian politician
• Elvin Santos (born 1963), Honduras 2009 presidential candidate
• Eduardo Santos Montejo, owned the El Tiempo newspaper, and served as the President of Colombia from August 1938 to August 1942
• Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos (born 1950), Angolan politician
• Hélio de Oliveira Santos (born 1950), Brazilian physician and politician
• José Eduardo dos Santos (born 1942), Angolan politician
• José Santos Guardiola (1816–1862), Honduran 19th Century politician
• José Santos Zelaya (1853–1919), Nicaraguan politician
• Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Colombian politician
• Manuel António dos Santos (born 1943), Portuguese politician
• Santos Acosta (1830–1901), Colombian general and political figure
• Marcelino dos Santos (born 1929), Mozambican politician

Sports[link]

• Álvaro Santos (born 1980), Brazilian footballer
• Alessandro dos Santos, Brazilian-Japanese footballer
• Andréia dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
• Arwind Santos (born 1981), Filipino basketball player
• Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, Portuguese footballer
• Daniel Santos (boxer) (born 1975), Puerto Rican boxer
• Daiane dos Santos (born 1983), Brazilian gymnast
• Djalma Santos (born 1929), Brazilian footballer
• Éder dos Santos (born 1984), Mexican footballer
• Edgardo Santos (born 1970), Puerto Rican professional boxer
• Fausto dos Santos (1905–1939), Brazilian footballer
• Fernando Santos (Brazilian footballer born 1980)
• Fernando Santos (Portuguese footballer) (born 1954), now a football manager
• Francileudo Santos (born 1979), Brazilian-born Tunisian footballer
• Georges Santos, French-born (born 1970), Cape Verdean footballer
• Giovani dos Santos (born 1989), Mexican footballer
• Héctor Santos (born 1944), Uruguayan footballer
• Jonathan dos Santos (born 1990), Mexican footballer
• Julio Santos (born 1976), Ecuadorian freestyle swimmer
• Junior dos Santos (born 1984), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Leslie George Santos, Hong Kong footballer
• Luís Santos (born 1980), Brazilian water polo goalkeeper
• Luís Fernando Rodrigues dos Santos (born 1983), Brazilian footballer
• Luíz Antônio dos Santos (born 1964), Brazilian long-distance runner
• Marco Aurélio Cunha dos Santos (born 1967), Brazilian footballer
• Maria Santos (swimmer) (born 1978), Portuguese swimmer
• Nílton Santos (born 1925), Brazilian football player
• Omir Santos (born 1981), Puerto Rican baseball player
• Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (born 1966), Portuguese footballer
• Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite "Kaká" (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
• Ricardo Santos (born 1975), Brazilian beach volleyball player
• Rodrigo dos Santos (born 1981), Brazilian water polo player
• Ronivaldo Santos Conceição (born 1972), Brazilian squash player
• Santos Sambajon (born 1960), Philippine pocket billiards player
• Sueli dos Santos (born 1965), Brazilian javelin thrower
• Tiago Alencar dos Santos (born 1986), Brazilian footballer
• Victor Irving Santos (born 1976), Dominican-American baseball player
• Yanelis Santos (born 1986), Cuban volleyball player

Others[link]

• Airton Ribeiro Santos (born 1990), Brazilian footballer
• André Bernardes Santos (born 1989), Portuguese midfielder footballer
• André Santos (born 1983), Brazilian Footballer
• Fernando Castro Santos (born 1952), Spanish football manager
• Flavio Santos (born 1987)
• Johan Santos (born 1987), Filipino television actor
• Kelly Santos (born 1979), Brazilian WNBA basketball player
• Lulu Santos (born 1953), Brazilian singer and guitarist
• Maicon Santos (born 1984), Brazilian footballer
• Marc Dos Santos (born 1977), Canadian soccer manager
• Nicholas Santos (born 1980), Brazilian freestyle swimmer
• Rey-Phillip Santos (born 1975), martial artist turned actor
• Ricky Santos (born 1984), American Canadian football quarterback
• Riza Santos (born 1987), Filipino-Canadian beauty queen
• Rodney Santos (born 1973), Filipino professional basketball player
• Sérgio Santos (born 1975), Brazilian professional volleyball player
• Sergio Santos (born 1983), Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
• Tony Santos, Spanish funk/R&B singer

Characters[link]

• Santos Family, in the American soap opera Guiding Light
  • Danny Santos
  • Michelle Bauer Santos, a fictional character on the popular CBS daytime soap opera, Guiding Light
• Matt Santos, character on the United States television show The West Wing
• Manny Santos, character on the Canadian television show Degrassi: The Next Generation

[edit] All My Children

• Julia Santos
• Mateo Santos
• Maria Santos
• Isabella Santos
• Rosa Santos

See also[link]

• Santos (disambiguation)

This page or section lists people with the surname Santos. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

Fabricio Werdum
Born	(1977-07-30) July 30, 1977 (age 34) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Other names	Vai Cavalo ("Go Horse") Loshadka
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	246 lb (112 kg; 17 st 8 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Fighting out of	Porto Alegre, Brazil
Team	Kings MMA
Rank	2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] Black belt in Judo[2] Black belt in Muay Thai[3]
Years active	2002–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	21
Wins	15
By knockout	4
By submission	8
By decision	3
Losses	5
By knockout	1
By decision	4
Draws	1
Other information
Notable students	Mirko Filipović
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Medal record
Competitor for  Brazil
Men's submission grappling
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships
Silver	2011 Nottingham	+99 kg
Gold	2009 Barcelona	+99 kg
Gold	2007 New Jersey	+99 kg
Bronze	2005 Long Beach	+99 kg
Bronze	2003 São Paulo	Open
Silver	2003 São Paulo	+99 kg
IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships
Gold	2004 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg (Black)
Bronze	2004 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Black)
Gold	2003 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg (Black)
Bronze	2002 Rio de Janeiro	-100 kg (Brown)
Silver	2001 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Purple)
Gold	2000 Rio de Janeiro	Open (Blue)
Gold	2000 Rio de Janeiro	-100 kg (Blue)
Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championships
Silver	2003	Open (Black)
Bronze	2003	+100 kg (Black)
Gold	2002	-100 kg (Brown)
Gold	2001	Open kg (Purple)
Gold	2001	-100 kg (Purple)
Gold	2000	-100 kg (Blue)

Fabricio Werdum (Portuguese pronunciation: [faˈbɾisju veʁˈdũ]; born July 30, 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, a two-time ADCC world heavyweight champion and European Jiu-Jitsu champion. He holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,^[1] Judo,^[2] and Muay Thai.^[3] Werdum has competed in Pride Fighting Championships, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and made his Strikeforce debut on August 15, 2009.^[4] He is currently ranked the #4 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog^[5] and the #6 heavyweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.^[6] He was the first fighter to decisively defeat Fedor Emelianenko in mixed martial arts competition.^[7][8][9]

Early life[link]

Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Werdum started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after a recommendation from his ex-girlfriend. He trained with Marcio Corleta at the Porto Alegre Academy, Winner Behring. After success in competitive BJJ and submission wrestling, he started his career in MMA.

He arrived in Spain to join his mother, who had moved to the city of Madrid some years before. At the age of 17, soon after his arrival in Spain, when he was just a purple belt, he started teaching the art of BJJ in Madrid and other cities of Spain. Despite only training with white and blue belts, he became BJJ World Champion, being promoted to the rank of black belt by Master Sylvio Behring 3 years later.^[10]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Werdum's early fights were with the promotions Jungle Fight, Millennium Brawl, and World Absolute Fight. He boasted a 4–0–1 record, including a win against BJJ specialist Gabriel Gonzaga. He was Mirko Filipović’s sparring partner at that time and the Croat was the main reason for his debut in Pride.

Pride Fighting Championships[link]

In 2005, Werdum made his Pride debut against Tom Erikson, winning by submission. Later that year he faced Roman Zentsov in Pride Final Conflict 2005, he was able to defeat Zentsov by a Triangle choke in 6:01 of the first round. Werdum then had the first loss in his MMA career, when he lost to Sergei Kharitonov via split decision in Pride 30. Then in early 2006, Werdum defeated Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision in Pride 31.

He accumulated a record of 3–1 in Pride before entering the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. His first match of the tournament was against Dutch fighter Alistair Overeem, and he won via kimura in the second round. He then faced former Pride FC heavyweight champion, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in the quarter finals, losing via decision.

Fabricio then had a short stint in 2 Hot 2 Handle, facing Alexander Emelianenko in a Heavyweight bout, and beating the Russian by submission via arm triangle choke.

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Fabricio Werdum debuted in the UFC on 21 April 2007 at UFC 70: Nations Collide. He faced former UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, losing a unanimous decision. He began to train in Brazil at Chute Boxe and he is now more aggressive, showing improvement in striking, particularly his Muay Thai. At UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, Werdum met Gabriel Gonzaga in a rematch. Werdum won the bout by TKO. He weathered an early striking onslaught only to secure the Muay Thai clinch and connect with several knee strikes before taking Gonzaga to the ground and finishing him with punches. Werdum's next fight was against Brandon Vera at UFC 85. He defeated Vera by TKO in the 1st round. Werdum achieved full mount with less than 30 seconds to go in the round and connected with a number of unanswered punches. The decision to stop the bout was booed due to the small amount of time remaining in the round, although the official time of stoppage was 4:40.

In his next fight at UFC 90, Werdum was heavily favored to win but was KO'ed in 1:20 of the first round via uppercut by Junior dos Santos. After the loss Werdum's contract was terminated by the UFC.^[11] Since Werdum was not contacted directly about the termination he had no idea he had been cut and initially denied the news of him no longer being in the UFC as just a rumor.^[12]

Strikeforce[link]

After leaving the UFC Werdum then signed with Strikeforce.^[4] He made his debut at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15, 2009, against fellow UFC veteran Mike "MAK" Kyle. He won by submission in 1:24 of the first round. Werdum followed that up with a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Silva at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers.

Werdum faced former Pride FC heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko on June 26, 2010, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum. In an enormous upset victory, Werdum forced Fedor to tap via triangle/armbar 1:09 into the first round.^[13][14] The victory ended Emelianenko's 28-fight unbeaten streak^[13][15] while propelling Werdum's status up the Heavyweight rankings. He was ranked as the third best Heavyweight in MMA by Sherdog.^[16] The victory over Fedor also gave him the distinction of being the only man to hold victories over both of the Emelianenko brothers.

A rematch with Alistair Overeem took place on June 18, 2011, at Strikeforce: Dallas as part of an eight-man heavyweight tournament. Werdum lost to Overeem by unanimous decision. He has received some criticism for "pleading" Overeem to fight him on the ground in order to get into a position favourable to him due to his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu background.^[17] The loss lowered his ranking only one spot to #4 in the world according to sherdog's official rankings

Ultimate Fighting Championship return[link]

On November 8, 2011, Werdum made his return to the UFC via contract-signing. It was speculated that his return fight might be against Brendan Schaub, a fight he expressed an interest in.^[18] The bout, however, did not materialize.

Instead, for his return match, Werdum faced Roy Nelson at UFC 143 on February 4, 2012.^[19] He won the fight via unanimous decision.The back and forth action earned fight of the night honours.

Werdum is next expected to face Mike Russow in June at UFC 147 in his home country of Brazil.^[20]

Schools and instruction[link]

Until November 2006, Werdum was the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach to Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic and is associated with Team Werdum BJJ Academy, located in Zagreb, Croatia [1]. Also until 2008 Fabricio Werdum was a BJJ head coach in Madrid, Spain for the Barcelo Boxing Gym. Werdum is currently training with the Chute Boxes MMA team.[2]

Werdum currently teaches in Venice, CA at his new school with his long-time training partners, Lucas Pires, at Werdum Combat Team.^[21]

Championships and Accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time)

• Strikeforce
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• World MMA Awards
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• Sherdog
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• Bleacher Report
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• MMAFighting
  • 2010 Submission of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

• FightMatrix
  • 2010 Upset of the Year vs. Fedor Emelianenko on June 26

[edit] Submission grappling

• International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
  • 2004 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Absolute Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Black Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Absolute Silver Medalist
  • 2003 Pan American Championships Black Belt Bronze Medalist
  • 2002 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Brown Belt Bronze Medalist
  • 2002 Pan American Championships Brown Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2001 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt Silver Medalist
  • 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
  • 2001 Pan American Championships Purple Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Absolute Gold Medalist
  • 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
  • 2000 Pan American Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist

• Abu Dhabi Combat Club
  • 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist
  • 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
  • 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Gold Medalist
  • 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Absolute Bronze Medalist
  • 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist

Personal life[link]

Fabricio has one daughter with his wife Karine.^[22]

Mixed martial arts record[link]

See also[link]

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fabricio Werdum

External links[link]

• Official website
• Fabricio Werdum BJJ Heroes
• Professional MMA record for Fabricio Werdum from Sherdog
• PRIDE profile

Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem in Amsterdam
Born	Alistair Cees Overeem (1980-05-17) May 17, 1980 (age 32) Hounslow, London, England[1]
Other names	The Reem, The Demolition Man, Ubereem
Nationality	Dutch
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	263 lb (119 kg; 18.8 st)
Division	Heavyweight (2007–present) Light Heavyweight (1999–2007)
Reach	81 in (206 cm)
Style	Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Submission grappling
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Boca Raton, Florida, United States[1]
Team	Golden Glory (1999–2011) Xtreme Couture (2011–2012) Imperial Athletics (2012–present)
Trainer	Striking: Roberto Flamingo
Years active	1999–present
Kickboxing record
Total	14
Wins	10
By knockout	7
Losses	4
By knockout	3
Mixed martial arts record
Total	48
Wins	36
By knockout	15
By submission	19
By decision	2
Losses	11
By knockout	6
By submission	2
By decision	3
No contests	1
Other information
Occupation	Mixed martial arts fighter
Notable relatives	Valentijn Overeem, brother
Website	www.thereem.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: December 23, 2010 (2010-12-23)

Alistair Cees Overeem (born May 17, 1980) is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer,^[2][3] signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat sports to hold a world title in both MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time. Alistair Overeem is ranked #3 in the heavyweight division.

Biography[link]

Overeem was born on (1980-05-17)May 17, 1980,^[4][5][6] to a Dutch mother and Jamaican father.^[7] His parents divorced when he was six years old. His mother, Clair, then moved Alistair and his brother Valentijn to the Netherlands, where Alistair has lived ever since.^[8][9]

As a child, Overeem competed in sports like judo, athletics and basketball.^[9] At 15 years of age, his brother Valentijn took him to Chris Dolman's gym to teach him how to defend himself.^[9][10] At first he didn't like to train, but after training with Bas Rutten, Joop Kasteel and others, he eventually learned to enjoy it.^[11][12]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Overeem had his first MMA professional fight at 19 years old, defeating Ricardo Fyeet by guillotine choke submission on October 24, 1999 (1999-10-24) at It's Showtime, the first event of the eponymously named promotion.^[9][13]

Early MMA Career[link]

After posting a 10–3 record in promotions such as RINGS, Overeem debuted in Pride Fighting Championships on July 20, 2002, defeating Yusuke Imamura by TKO in just 44 seconds.

Pride FC[link]

Overeem would win two more fights in Pride before entering the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix at Pride Total Elimination 2003 and losing to future UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in the quarterfinal match. Overeem rebounded to defeat Tomohiko Hashimoto at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 in 36 seconds. On October 31, 2004 he fought Hiromitsu Kanehara, defeating him by TKO part-way through the first round at Pride 28. He lost his next fight against Brazilian Top Team fighter Antônio Rogério Nogueira.

In 2005, Overeem entered the Pride Middle Weight Grand Prix at Pride Total Elimination 2005 where he defeated former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort by submission in the opening round. Overeem would move on to fight Igor Vovchanchyn in the quarterfinals at Pride Critical Countdown 2005 taking under two minutes to win by submission. Overeem lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champion Mauricio Rua.

In February 2006, Overeem fought Russian Top Team favorite Sergei Kharitonov. Overeem won the fight, dislocating Kharitonov's shoulder in the process. With his win over Kharitonov, Overeem secured a spot in the Pride 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix at Pride Total Elimination Absolute. He fought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum, losing via kimura in the second round.

Debut in Strikeforce[link]

After his loss, Overeem traveled to San Jose, California to rematch Vitor Belfort at Strikeforce: Revenge. Despite being the main event, Overeem pulled out a decision win.

Return to Pride[link]

A month later Overeem returned to Pride for a highly anticipated rematch with Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Overeem entered the fight with a heavily taped neck. After controlling the first round and a half with his striking, Overeem was stumbled from a punch, Nogueira followed with a flurry of strikes. Worried Overeem would be more severely injured, his corner threw in the towel.

At Pride Final Conflict Absolute, he lost to Ricardo Arona. Overeem was on the receiving end of a leg kick that caused a non-serious injury to his nerves, causing him to lose feeling in his foot and leg. Unable to mount an offense or defend against Arona, Overeem tapped out to avoid further injury.

He then suffered another KO loss to Mauricio Rua at Pride 33, but returned in June 2007 with a submission win over Michael Knaap at K-1 Grand Prix in Amsterdam (despite K-1 being a kickboxing promotion, the bout was fought under MMA rules).

On September 17, 2007, at Hero's 10: Middleweight Tournament Final Alistair faced Sergei Kharitonov again. Overeem showed solid movement as soon as the first round began, but he suffered a KO loss just before the end of the first round.After not making the cut as a light heavyweight, Overeem realized that he had to stop cutting weight and fight at his natural weightclass.

Return to Strikeforce/Dream/Dynamite[link]

On November 16, 2007, Overeem defeated Paul Buentello for the vacant Strikeforce heavyweight title by submission due to knee strikes.^[14]

On June 15, 2008 Overeem won by KO in the first round against Lee Tae-Hyun at Dream 4. On July 21, 2008, Overeem defeated K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 champion Mark Hunt in the first round by submission at Dream 5.

His next fight was against Mirko Filipović at Dream 6 on September 23, 2008.^[15] After almost half of the first round which saw Overeem taking down Filipovic multiple times and effectively striking from the top position, cutting his Croatian foe, the bout was stopped and declared a no contest due to Alistair landing multiple knees to the groin of Filipovic.

Overeem was rumored to make his first title defense against Heavyweight Brett Rogers on June 6 at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields, however a hand injury scuttled plans for the fight.^[16] According to Golden Glory manager Bas Boon, Overeem had suffered a hand infection following a nightclub brawl early May 2009. According to Boon, Alistair and his brother Valentijn – both heavyweights – had been involved in an altercation that left five security staff needing hospital treatment and nearly cost Alistair his hand.

Overeem was scheduled to make his first Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship defense in a rematch against Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, but had to pull out due to a hand injury, most likely caused from his nightclub brawl.

Alistair defeated Tony Sylvester at Golden Glory's 10 year anniversary celebration with a standing guillotine choke.^[17] He used the same choke only 8 days later to submit James Thompson at Dream 12.^[18]

Overeem has stated that he wants a rubber match with Badr Hari, only this time in an MMA bout.^[19]

Overeem was set to face Andrei Arlovski at Dynamite!! 2009 but FEG instead opted to have him face, Kazuyuki Fujita to keep with the Dream Vs. Sengoku theme.^[20] Overeem quickly overpowered his opponent and recorded a knockout with a knee to the head.

Overeem then faced Brett Rogers on May 15, 2010 at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery to defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship.^[21] He won the fight via TKO (punches) in the first round. In his post-fight interview, Alistair Overeem declared for another time that he wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko, claiming that Fedor's management can no longer ignore his presence.^[22] The majority of Alistair Overeem's pre-fight training camp took place at the newly opened Golden Glory Gym in Pattaya, Thailand, where "The Demolition Man" concentrated on the further improvement of his Muay Thai skills.^[23]

Overeem faced Todd Duffee on December 31, 2010 at Dynamite!! 2010.^[24] Overeem defeated Duffee by way of knockout 19 seconds into the first round to win the Dream Interim Heavyweight Championship.^[25] Overeem was later upgraded to Dream Heavyweight Champion.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix[link]

In early 2011, Alistair Overeem was named as one of 8 men that will take part of the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP, alongside rivals Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov, Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.

A rematch with Fabricio Werdum took place on June 18, 2011, at Strikeforce: Dallas as part of an eight-man heavyweight tournament.^[26] Overeem won by unanimous decision.

Removal from GP/Strikeforce[link]

On July 17, it was announced Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem was removed from the promotion’s 2011 heavyweight grand prix. Overeem went on to state that he felt the September date was too soon for him to return, and that he needed time to rest and heal after his June 18 quarterfinal decision win over Fabricio Werdum. Overeem swapped out for unbeaten up-and-comer Daniel Cormier.^[27] Subsequently, on July 29, it was announced that Overeem had been released from the Strikeforce organization as Zuffa exercised their right to eliminate the one remaining fight on his contract.^[28][29] It was revealed that the reason behind Overeem's release from Strikeforce was not due to his unwillingness to participate in the GP semi finals, but due to Golden Glory's policy requiring that the money fighters made through fights be paid through their management first.

This disagreement led not only to Overeem's release but also other Golden Glory stars under a Zuffa contract, including former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Marloes Coenen, Norwegian UFC heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo, and even brother Valentijn Overeem. Team Golden Glory leader Bas Boon stated he has since changed the policy, and that Alistair Overeem could come to the UFC under an exclusive deal, if the right terms are offered, which he now has.^[30]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

On December 30, 2011, at UFC 141, Overeem made his UFC debut in the main event against former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in what ultimately turned out to be Lesnar's final mixed martial arts fight. He defeated Lesnar by flooring him with a liver kick then finishing him off with an unanswered flurry of punches, prompting the referee to intervene and stop the fight, awarding Overeem a 1st round TKO victory and earning him a title shot against heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

Overeem was scheduled to fight UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos on May 26, 2012 at UFC 146. However, on April 4, 2012, Overeem was revealed to have failed his pre-fight drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).^[31] He tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone that exceeded a ratio of 10-to-1, over the allowed ratio rate of 6-to-1. On Friday April 20, 2012, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Overeem has been removed from his fight with Dos Santos and replaced by Frank Mir.^[32]

One day prior to his meeting with the NSAC, Overeem released a prepared statement to the media in which he claims the positive result of the drug test came as a result of a doctor prescribed "anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone."^[33] Overeem's lawyer filed a continuation request for additional time to gather support for his recent claim, which was voted on by the NSAC on April 24, 2012.^[34] The request was denied and the NSAC voted unanimously to deny Overeem's application status for a period of 9 months, dating back to March 27, the day of his drug test. He may reapply after this time period in December 2012.^[35]

Kickboxing career[link]

Overeem had his first professional kickboxing fight at 17 years old, in a K-1 rules fight on November 15, 1997 (1997-11-15).^[9][36] After that he fought against Paul Hordijk, winning by decision on March 14, 1999 (1999-03-14). Overeem then moved onto K-1, having two K-1 Kickboxing fights in 6 years against Errol Parris and Glaube Feitosa. Overeem was knocked out in both bouts and stayed with MMA from then on. He did not fight in K-1 for 4 more years.

On December 31, 2008, Overeem faced Badr Hari, one of K-1's top contenders, under K-1 rules. He defeated Hari by way of knockout in the first round. After that, he faced Remy Bonjasky, the defending K-1 champion. Overeem came out aggressive in the first and second rounds, bullying Bonjasky and landing some impressive offense, but in the third was knocked down by a right hook from Bonjasky, who thereby secured a unanimous decision win. All three judges scored the bout 30–28.

On September 26 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16, having been selected by fan voting after his impressive performances against Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari, Overeem shocked the kickboxing world by achieving a huge upset. He defeated K-1's longest serving member, legendary 3-time champion Peter Aerts by unanimous decision. At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, Overeem knocked out Kyokushin Karate Champion, Ewerton Teixeira with a knee strike in the first round, but lost to Badr Hari, via TKO from a head kick in the Semi Finals.

At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama, Overeem defeated Dzevad Poturak via KO (right knee) in Round 1 at 2:40.^[37] Overeem defeated Ben Edwards by TKO in the first round on October 2, 2010 at K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final 16.^[38]

On December 11, at the Ariake Coliseum, Overeem fought at and won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final. In the quarter finals, he beat Tyrone Spong by Unanimous decision. In the semi finals he came face to face with his teammate Gokhan Saki, who he defeated by first round TKO due to injury, breaking Saki's right arm with a hard left kick. Saki's arm was already injured as a result of his previous fight with Daniel Ghita. In the finals, he fought Peter Aerts for the second time. Alistair came out aggressively and finished Peter in the first round.

Personal life[link]

Overeem has a daughter named Storm.^[39] On a Japanese comedy show, Alistair Overeem claimed that his great-great-grandfather was William III of the Netherlands.^[40] Overeem had a cameo in the music video for the song "Sexy and I Know It" and "Sorry for Party Rocking" by LMFAO in September 2011.^[41] He won a celebrity sumo tournament in Japan in September 2011.

Legal Issues[link]

On January 1, 2012 following his match with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Overeem pushed or shoved a woman in the face, "causing her to stagger back," in an incident that occurred at the Wynn Las Vegas at about 3 a.m., according to the Las Vegas Police Department. Not arrested but summoned to court, Overeem has been charged with misdemeanor battery, facing a maximum of six months in the Clark County Detention Center and not more than a $1,000 fine. He is being represented by David Chesnoff.^[42] On March 28, 2012, Overeem was given a suspended 90 day county jail sentence plus 50 hours of community service with anger management. If Overeem fulfills the requirements, the battery charge will be dropped. Overeem is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 26 to close the case.^[43]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Kickboxing[link]

• K-1
  • K-1 2009 World Grand Prix (Third place)
  • K-1 2010 World Grand Prix (Champion)

Mixed martial arts[link]

• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship (One time; First; Last)
  • One successful title defense
• Pride Fighting Championships
  • 2005 Middleweight Tournament (Third place)
• DREAM
  • DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion (One time; First)
  • DREAM Heavyweight Championship (One time; First)
  • Fastest stoppage in a DREAM title bout (0:19; vs. Todd Duffee)
• 2 Hot 2 Handle
  • 2H2H Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • 2H2H Light Heavyweight Tournament (Champion)
• World MMA Awards
  • 2010 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2011 International Fighter of the Year

Submission grappling[link]

• Abu Dhabi Combat Club
  • 2005 ADCC European Trials Winner

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Kickboxing record[link]

Alistair Overeem kickboxing record

10 wins (7 (T)KO's), 4 losses Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record 2010-12-11 Win Peter Aerts K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final Tokyo, Japan KO (Punches) 1 1:07 10–4 K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Final. Won K-1 2010 World Grand Prix. 2010-12-11 Win Gokhan Saki K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final Tokyo, Japan TKO (Injury) 1 2:20 9–4 K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Semifinal. 2010-12-11 Win Tyrone Spong K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 8–4 K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. 2010-10-02 Win Ben Edwards K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16 Seoul, South Korea TKO (Referee stoppage/3 knockdowns) 1 2:08 7–4 K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Qualifier. 2010-04-03 Win Dzevad Poturak K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama Yokohama, Japan KO (Right knee) 1 2:40 6–4 2009-12-05 Loss Badr Hari K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final Yokohama, Japan TKO (Referee stoppage/2 knockdowns) 1 2:14 5–4 K-1 2009 World Grand Prix Semifinal. 2009-12-05 Win Ewerton Teixeira K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final Yokohama, Japan KO (Left knee) 1 1:06 5–3 K-1 2009 World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. 2009-09-26 Win Peter Aerts K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16 Seoul, South Korea Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 4–3 K-1 2009 World Grand Prix Qualifier. 2009-03-28 Loss Remy Bonjasky K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama Yokohama, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 3–3 2008-12-31 Win Badr Hari Dynamite!! 2008 Saitama, Japan KO (Left hook) 1 2:07 3–2 2007-05-20 Win Jürgen Dolch Ultimate Glory 3: Upside Down Amersfoort, Netherlands KO (Punch) 1 2:02 2–2 2004-05-30 Loss Glaube Feitosa Kyokushin vs K-1 2004 All Out Battle Tokyo, Japan KO (Punch) 1 2:13 1–2 2001-02-04 Loss Errol Parris K-1 Holland GP 2001 in Arnhem Arnhem, Netherlands TKO (Corner stoppage) 3 1:22 1–1 1999-03-14 Win Paul Hordijk Thaiboxing Event in Veenendaal Veenendaal, Netherlands Decision (Unanimous) 3 2:00 1–0 Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Submission grappling record[link]

Result	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Notes
Win	3–0	Mikael Grothe	(Submission: Guillotine Choke)	ADCC European Trials	January 25, 2005	−98.9 kg Final
Win	2–0	Andreas Olsen	(Submission: Guillotine Choke)	ADCC European Trials	January 25, 2005	−98.9 kg
Win	1–0	Arben Latifi	(Submission: Guillotine Choke)	ADCC European Trials	January 25, 2005	−98.9 kg

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official web site
• Official UFC Profile
• Professional MMA record for Alistair Overeem from Sherdog
• Personal life documentary
• Profile at K-1
• Profile at Dream (Japanese)
• Profile at Pride

Frank Mir
Born	Francisco Santos Miranda, III (1979-05-24) May 24, 1979 (age 33) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1][2]
Weight	261 lb (118 kg; 18 st 9 lb)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	79 in (201 cm)
Style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenpo Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling
Fighting out of	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Team	University of Grappling[3] Suffer Training Center
Trainer	Ricky Lundell[4] Robert Drysdale
Rank	Black belt in Kenpo Karate Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active	2001 –present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	22
Wins	16
By knockout	4
By submission	9
By decision	2
By disqualification	1
Losses	6
By knockout	6
Spouse	Jennifer (2004 – present)
Children	3
Notable school(s)	Bonanza High School
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: October 11, 2011

Francisco Santos Miranda, III^[5][6] (born May 24, 1979), better known as Frank Mir, is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate.

Mir, one of the most accomplished heavyweights in MMA history, is a two time UFC Heavyweight Champion . He currently holds the record for most victories in the heavyweight division of the UFC with 14 and most wins by submission in UFC Heavyweight division history with 8. He is also the only man in UFC history to win a bout by toe hold.^[7] As of January 2012 he is ranked the #4 In the ESPN MMA Power Rankings.^[8]He holds the distinction of being the first and only man to both knock out and submit MMA legend Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir is the only person to submit former UFC Heavyweight Champion and NCAA Division I wrestler Brock Lesnar and highly regarded striker Cheick Kongo. Frank Mir has had more fights in the UFC than anyone else currently competing in the heavyweight division.

Early life[link]

His father convinced him to begin wrestling, on the basis that it could help him avoid submissions. Mir then began wrestling at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, Nevada where during his junior year he lost his first nine matches.^[9] During his senior year (1998) he went 44–1 and won the state championship.^[9] He was also on the school's football team that reached the Southern Zone semifinals in 1997 and where he played as fullback and defensive end. He also took up track and field in 1998 where his discus throw of 177 feet, 10 inches is still a Sunset Regional record.^[9]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Mir met UFC matchmaker Joe Silva at a school Silva was visiting. Silva saw potential in Mir as a future UFC fighter and suggested that he first prove himself against some fighters in the mixed martial arts world. Mir would make his professional MMA debut against Jerome Smith at HOOKnSHOOT: Showdown on July 14, 2001. Mir won the bout by judges' decision after two rounds. He won another match by submission against Dan Quinn at IFC Warriors Challenge 15.

After these events, Mir made his UFC debut against Roberto Travern. Traven had fought once in the UFC before (at UFC 11), and was the 1999 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship open class champion and 6th degree black belt in BJJ.^[10] Mir defeated Roberto Travern by armbar at 1:05 of round one at UFC 34: High Voltage on November 2, 2001. The submission earned Mir the "Tapout of the Night" award.

Mir's next match in the UFC was against Pete Williams and took place at UFC 36: Worlds Collide on March 22, 2002. Mir submitted the veteran Williams (who had never been submitted before^[11]) at only 46 seconds into the first round with a shoulder lock that has since been named after Mir.^[12]

He faced Ian Freeman, at UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall, held in London, England on July 13, 2002. Despite several leglock attempts by Mir, Freeman achieved side control at around four minutes into the first round, landing numerous elbows and punches on Mir's head. After Freeman separated, the referee signaled Mir to stand back up. A time out was called due to an apparent cut on Mir's face, and the referee stopped the fight when Mir had difficulty standing up. The call is considered controversial by some fans (including Mir himself) because of the fact that he was never officially finished by Freeman and the fight only stopped due to difficulty standing up, which has been suggested was a smart, but bad call by the referee since that loss.

After the considered-controversial loss to Freeman, Mir then faced David "Tank" Abbott at UFC 41 on February 28, 2003. Mir^[13] defeated Abbott in only 46 seconds into the first round by submission (Toe Hold).

On June 26, 2003 Mir fought Wes Sims at UFC 43: Meltdown. Mir won by disqualification at 2:55 of round one after Sims stomped down on Mir's face after slamming his way out of Mir's armbar attempt. They would rematch at UFC 46: Supernatural on January 31, 2004. Frank Mir won by knockout at 4:21 of round two.

Heavyweight championship[link]

On June 19, 2004, Mir faced Tim Sylvia for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 48: Payback. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 50 seconds into the first round when Mir's armbar visibly broke Sylvia's right forearm. Mir trapped Sylvia's right arm in an armbar attempt. When Sylvia tried to pull out of the hold, Mir jerked back harder and Sylvia's radius bone snapped about 3 inches below his elbow. Sylvia repeatedly claimed his arm was not broken, even touching it and moving it around to show he was O.K. Sylvia was taken to the nearby hospital where an x-ray showed that his arm was in fact broken in four different places.

With this technical submission win Mir became the new UFC Heavyweight Champion and later received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black-belt from Ricardo Pires for his performance in the fight.^[14]

Motorcycle injury[link]

On September 17, 2004, Mir was knocked off his motorcycle by a car. The accident caused a break in Mir's femur and tore all the ligaments in his knee. The bone had broken in two places but the injury did not end Mir's career as a fighter. Major surgery was needed to repair the bone in his leg. An interim heavyweight title was created while Mir was recovering from the injury, which Andrei Arlovski won by defeating Tim Sylvia by way of a first round submission. On August 12, 2005, the UFC learned that Mir was not able to fight Andrei Arlovski in October as scheduled, thus Mir was stripped of the title after 14 months, and Arlovski was promoted to be the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.^[15]

Return to the UFC[link]

Mir recovered from his motorcycle accident and fought Márcio Cruz at UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 on February 4, 2006. In a shocking upset, Mir was defeated by the relative newcomer in the first round by TKO due to strikes. Initially, referee Herb Dean called for a break to check a large cut on Mir's face. Mir was given the opportunity to continue, and did so.

Mir returned to the Octagon on July 8, 2006 at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals and faced Dan Christison.^[16] Mir had gained a considerable amount of weight and quickly became exhausted. Mir won in a lackluster fashion by unanimous decision after three rounds; the judges all scored the bout 29–28.^[17] Criticism began to flourish with Mir not looking like the same fighter as he was before, both physically and technically.

Mir next faced Brandon Vera at UFC 65: Bad Intentions. Mir showed slightly improved sharpness on his feet, and boxed well until being stunned by a straight right from Vera. He was then dropped by knees from Vera's Muay Thai clinch, where the smaller Vera delivered elbows & punches from side control, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Mir lost by TKO at only 1:09 of the first round. While preparing for UFC 140, Mir explained that the reason why he suffered the 2 losses to Cruz and Vera was because even after having 14 months of recovery, he was still feeling the effects of the motorcycle accident he had.^[18]

Rise back to title contention[link]

Frank Mir was scheduled to fight Antoni Hardonk at UFC Fight Night 9 on April 5, 2007, but had to drop out due to a shoulder injury.^[19] Mir recovered from the shoulder injury and fought Antoni Hardonk at UFC 74 and won via kimura in 1:17 of the first round.^[20] At the end of the bout, Mir walked to the cameras pointing at himself saying "I'm back!". Frank's wife Jennifer was shown on the replay screaming and crying with joy when Frank secured the kimura and the fight was stopped.

After the fight with Hardonk, Mir stated that his long period of time away after his loss to Brandon Vera not only helped him recover from the shoulder injury, but helped recover from his motorcycle accident and while fighting Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 119 UFC commentator Mike Goldberg stated: "Mir, in that motorcycle years ago and, he's fought his way back".

Mir fought Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 on February 2, 2008. Early in the first round, Lesnar took Mir down and, while striking from Mir's guard, landed illegal punches to the back of Mir's head, drawing a foul and a one-point deduction from referee Steve Mazzagatti.^[21] They were stood up and Mir was given a brief recovery period, but Lesnar quickly took Mir down again. When Lesnar escaped an armbar attempt, Mir caught him with a kneebar, causing Lesnar to tap out at 1:30 of the first round.^[22]

[edit] The Ultimate Fighter Season 8

Spike TV on 12 May 2008 announced that the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champion Frank Mir would be the coaches for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter.^[23]

The season, which premiered on Spike TV on September 17, returned to the two-weight class format. It featured light heavyweight and lightweight fighters.^[24] Production on season eight began in late May, with the entire cast announced in September, and concluded in December.^[24]

Interim Heavyweight Championship[link]

Frank Mir fought Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 (held on December 27, 2008) for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.^[25] This bout was part of a mini-heavyweight tournament, often hyped by Dana White. The winner of this fight would then face the winner of the match between the heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar won by TKO in the second round, gaining him the heavyweight championship belt in the process and then setting him to face the winner at UFC 100 to unify the belts.

Frank Mir then defeated Nogueira in the second round via TKO due to strikes, showing vastly improved striking (particularly his boxing), by knocking down the Brazilian twice in the first round, and once in the second. He also scored a Judo-trip takedown in round one.^[26] Herb Dean stopped the match at 1:54 of the second round.^[26] Nogueira's loss marked the first time he had lost a fight by TKO.^[27] In a post fight interview, Mir credited his improved striking to a drastic improvement in conditioning.^[28]

Two days after the fight Dana White revealed in an interview that "Nogueira had just gotten over a Staph infection".^[29] Nogueira himself verified this fact several months later in his own interview, stating that he had a Staph infection "20 days before the fight, [requiring] 5 days in the hospital." When asked if this infection affected his fight, Nogueira answered: "For sure." In addition to this significant illness, his knee was injured during training for which he had surgery in February 2009. Despite these legitimate handicaps, Nogueira offered strong praise for Frank Mir's performance, with particular credit given to Mir's ability to maintain "very good distance".^[30]

Heavyweight Championship unification[link]

Frank Mir's victory over Nogueira set in place a re-match with the UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight championship.^[31] However, Mir stated, that in his opinion, holding victories over former Interim Heavyweight Champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 is enough to recognize him as the owner of the "real belt".^[32] On May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Frank Mir was scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 98, however Mir sustained a knee injury during training which required arthroscopic surgery and the removal of bone chips from his knee. Mir's rematch against Brock Lesnar was rescheduled for UFC 100, July 11, 2009.^[33]

At UFC 100, Mir was lively on his feet but proved unable to counter Lesnar's wrestling and positional dominance. In the second round, after being allowed to standup, he landed a combo ending with a turning right elbow which forced Lesnar to clinch—proceeding to land a jumping right knee to rock his opponent—he was still unable to prevent the takedown. After a period of recovery from the knee Lesnar pinned Mir up against the cage and delivered multiple unanswered blows to his face, forcing Herb Dean to stop the fight via TKO at 1:48 in the 2nd round. With the win, Brock Lesnar became the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.^[34]

Post title shot[link]

Mir had his next fight against Cheick Kongo on December 12, 2009 at UFC 107. Mir was expected to weigh 20 to 25 lbs heavier than usual, due to the strength and conditioning program that he had undertaken to largely improve his muscular frame. This meant he would have to cut weight to get to the 265 lb limit.^[35] As expected, Mir weighed in for his fight against Kongo at 264.5 lbs. At the weigh-ins, Kongo refused to face Mir during the traditional staredown before the fight. During the fight, Mir stunned Kongo with an overhand left early, dropping him and swarming to secure a guillotine choke victory at 1:12 in the first round. Kongo refused to tap and was rendered unconscious by the choke.^[36]

In the post-fight press conference Mir expressed his desire to fight a rubber match with Brock Lesnar.^[37] Mir later created controversy after commenting that he wanted to break Brock Lesnar's neck, so that he would become the first mixed martial artist to die in competition. Mir later made an apology for his comments.^[38]

Mir faced Shane Carwin for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship on March 27, 2010 at UFC 111.^[39] After a brief standup exchange, Mir established the clinch, where Carwin eventually delivered multiple short, powerful uppercuts to Mir's face. Unable to defend himself, Mir lost the fight via KO at 3:48 of the first round.^[40]

At a UFC Fan Expo, Mir said he briefly considered dropping down to the Light Heavyweight division, although he later confirmed he will remain at heavyweight.^[41]

Mir was expected to face Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on September 25, 2010 at UFC 119 in a rematch from the Interim Championship bout, which Mir won via TKO at UFC 92.^[42] Nogueira pulled out of this fight due to knee surgery and was replaced by Mirko Filipović.^[43] Mir defeated Filipović via third round KO, earning the win with a knee from the clinch in a largely uneventful fight where neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense.^[44]

Mir faced Roy Nelson on May 28, 2011 at UFC 130. He won via unanimous decision by using superior control and constant pressure. Pushing against the cage, completing a Judo hip throw and securing several takedowns in the third round, showing improved wrestling. Mir landed several hard knees and elbows from the Muay Thai clinch throughout the entire bout, but was unable to finish Nelson.^[45][46]

A rematch with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira took place on December 10, 2011 at UFC 140.^[47] At that event, Mir was dropped by Nogueira's counter striking and appeared to be knocked out briefly. Mir recovered and gained superior positioning and defeated Nogueira by kimura at 3:38 of round 1, snapping Nogueira's arm in the process and causing Nogueira to tap out. Mir is now the first only one of two fighters (the other being Cain Velasquez) to have finished Nogueira via knock out, and the first and only one to finish him via submission. This marked the first time Nogueira had been stopped via submission. The victory also earned Mir Submission of the Night honors.^[48] UFC President Dana White called it the "submission of the century" at the post fight press conference.

Mir was expected to face Cain Velasquez on May 25, 2012 at UFC 146.^[49] However, on April 20, 2012, Dana White announced that Mir will face Junior dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, replacing Alistair Overeem. On May 11, 2012 UFC Primetime returned to promote the fight between Mir and Junior Dos Santos, and concluded on May 25.^[50] Alhough Mir's striking had improved, Dos Santos was able to use superior foot work to strike in and out before Mir could mount any significant offense. Mir lost the fight via TKO (punches) at 3:04 of Round 2 and has since said he will continue his career and go back to the drawing board.

Personal life[link]

Frank Mir's father is Cuban, born of Moroccan immigrants of Russian descent. The surname "Mir" translated from Russian, means "world" or "peace" (depending of the context). The family name was never "Miranda" as the fighter and his father already explained to the press.^[51] Mir and his wife Jennifer have three children together and Jennifer has a son from a previous relationship, whom Mir helps raise and is in the process of formally adopting.^[4][52]

Frank Mir is an atheist.^[53] He followed a vegan diet for a year^[54] but then switched to Paleo diet for supposedly better athletic outcome.^[55]

Mir worked as a bouncer at the Spearmint Rhino strip club in Las Vegas before entering the UFC,^[56] and continued to work as Director of Security there while pursuing his UFC career.^[57]

In addition to fighting in the UFC, Mir was a color commentator for World Extreme Cagefighting events on Versus from 2007 until the spring of 2010, when he was replaced by fellow UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar.

Championships and achievements[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Submission of the Night (Two times)
  • Most wins in UFC Heavyweight division in history (14)^[58]
  • Most wins by submission in UFC Heavyweight division in history (8)
  • Most fights in UFC Heavyweight division in history (20)
  • Most finishes in UFC Heavyweight division in history (11)
  • First and only toe hold finish in UFC history
  • Fastest submission in UFC Heavyweight division in history (46 seconds)
  • Fought five different UFC Heavyweight Champions
  • Defeated four different UFC Heavyweight Champions

• World MMA Awards
  • Submission of the Year (2011) vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on December 10^[59]

• FIGHT! Magazine
  • Submission of the Year (2008) vs. Brock Lesnar on February 2^[60]

• Sherdog
  • 2008 Comeback Fighter of the Year [1]
  • 2011 Submission of the Year^[61]

Submission grappling[link]

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
  • Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Pires
• Pan American Championships
  • Blue Belt Pesadissimo: 1st place (2001)
• North American Grappling Association
  • NAGA Absolute Division Champion (2007)

Amateur wrestling[link]

• Nevada State Wrestling
  • Nevada State Wrestling Champion (1998)

Mixed martial arts record[link]